Michigan City Family Gets “The King” of All Surprises

goss-family-richard-pettyWhen Ray and Jennifer Goss were asked by Operation Homefront, a non-profit organization that provides services to military personnel nationwide, to show up at the Jewel-Osco store in New Lenox, Illinois last week, it didn’t come as much of a surprise. Ray is a Veteran Army Spc. and the organization often plans giveaways for veterans. On Friday, September 12, Ray and Jennifer, both first-year instructors at the A.K. Smith Career Center in Michigan City, were expecting to pick up a pair of free tickets to the NASCAR race that weekend at Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet. And even though Jennifer had been interviewed a week prior from an Operation Homefront representative about Ray’s service, she had only been told that there may be “extra prizes” available when they arrived in New Lenox.

Those “extra prizes” turned into a once in a lifetime experience for the Goss family, which included an excited 4-year-old Max and soon to be 1-year-old Grace.

“When we got to the Jewel parking lot, we found that it was just us - with a lot of media and cameras,” Ray said, adding that it felt “overwhelming and unexpected” considering they were just there to pick up tickets.

But it wasn’t just the tickets (which included a seat on pit row and the family being named honorary crew members for race car No. 43) that were in store for them. The couple was approached by a replica of car No. 43, which is sponsored by Eckrich, a company known for making sausages. Out came Eckrich representative Steven France to inform them of their honorary crew member status for the car that would be driven by Aric Aimirola that Sunday . Eckrich was celebrating their 120th race with 120 military families, according to the Southtown Star newspaper.

But the surprises kept coming as the family was then approached by a 2015 Ford Fusion driven by none other than “The King,” Richard Petty.

“I saw him in the windshield and thought, ‘oh my gosh, that’s Richard Petty,’” Ray remembers. Petty then presented the military family that makes their home in Michigan City the keys to their new car, the very one he was driving.

Then stepped in a representative from Jewel-Osco, who got in on the act with a gift of free groceries for a year.

The veteran was speechless.

“I’m a little blown away. It reminds you that what you went through was all worth it. This is an amazing reminder that we are not forgotten, that people appreciate what we’re doing,” Ray told the Southtown Star.

While Ray has always had a love for cars and had been a big drag racing fan that turned into an interest in NASCAR when he was in the Army and met cohorts with that interest, Jennifer said she “had never been a NASCAR fan.”

“But I am now,” she said. “If somebody gives you a car, you are a fan for life. I had never been to a NASCAR race, but found myself really excited sitting behind the pit to see what the cars do and how the crews work.”

But even though the race was the opening one of the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship, Ray will always remember meeting “The King” two days prior as the highlight of this amazing outpouring of gratitude.

“He’s probably one of the most down to earth people you’ll ever meet,” Ray said on Petty. “For being a NASCAR legend, he is a pretty busy guy, but what he does for others is so humbling. When you speak to him one-on-one, you’d never suspect he is anyone big.”

Jennifer remembers telling the Operation Homefront representative that there are so many other families who need and deserve things like this, when the woman responded, “sometimes all people need is a thank you.”

“That line really stuck with me,” she said.

While the family will have to wait 30-45 days to get the I’s dotted and T’s crossed on their new vehicle, Ray and Jennifer will continue another rewarding mutual adventure at their new positions at the A.K. Smith Center, where Ray teaches welding and Jennifer is an early childhood education instructor.

“We love it,” Jennifer said. “Everyone (at A.K. Smith) is so supportive of what you do. (Early Childhood Education) is something I’m very passionate about. It is really neat to see young men and women come in who want to work with children. I hope that all of them take away some really good stuff from my class and continue the eagerness to teach the little ones.”

Ray too is excited to “hopefully change 1-2 students lives, at the minimum, for the better.”

“I love to help those students who are not sure where they want to go and help guide them,” he said.

Ray’s service to the United States Army will make a fine example as he shapes young minds in the welding field. His dedication also gave organizations like NASCAR, Jewel-Osco, Eckrich and Operation Homefront a reason to show their gratitude by providing the gifts they did.

“I remember Ray asking after the race when we were in the Skybox if I’d like to come to another NASCAR race with him - I said yes, but only if I could sit in the pit box,” Jennifer joked.

The free groceries will also be a welcome convenience for a family with two young children. And even though the Jewel-Osco in Michigan City closed two years ago, Jennifer said the short drive to the Chesterton location will be “well worth it.”